Diddy to appear in court before new judge in sex-trafficking case

Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs is set to make his first appearance before a new judge who will preside over his trial on sex-trafficking charges.

The embattled rapper was arrested on September 16 over sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

Robyn Tarnofsky, the US magistrate judge, ordered that the entertainer be sent to jail while awaiting his trial.

Tarnofsky’s order followed after the Bad Boy Records founder pleaded not guilty to the 14-page federal indictment against him.

Diddy was also accused of sexually abusing 120 more people, including a 9-year-old boy.

On Thursday, the rapper will be brought to Manhattan federal court from a Brooklyn jail for an afternoon appearance before Arun Subramanian, the presiding judge.

The hearing is expected to result in deadlines set for lawyers on each side to submit arguments that will establish the boundaries for a trial that Diddy’s lawyers want to start in April or May next year.

Prosecutors have not expressed a preference for when the trial might occur.

Subramanian was assigned to the case after another judge recused himself based on his past associations with lawyers in the case.

Diddy has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His lawyers have tried to get him freed on bail since his arrest.

However, two judges concluded that the rapper is a danger to the community if he is freed.

At a bail hearing three weeks ago, a judge rejected a $50 million bail package, including home detention and electronic monitoring, after concluding that Diddy was a threat to tamper with witnesses and obstruct a continuing investigation.

Janice Combs, Diddy’s mother, recently defended him, saying he is “not the monster people have painted him to be”.